The mod banning these users is the same mod who made the posts they downvoted. This is mod abuse, turning the downvote button into an auto-self-ban button.
The message is “If you disagree with me, you will be banned”
Monitoring and banning users for using lemmy as intended to signal boost your opinion should be grounds to have all mod privileges removed. This behaviour undermines the integrity of the server and the wider fediverse.
The timescale didn’t click with me when I saw the screenshot. I of course do recall locking the thread at the time, but the timescale details were gone. This is a small detail. What is the issue with locking a thread that has collapsed into bickering and insults?
I think we’ll let the audience decide that.
And I’m absolutely fine as a moderator.